| [When was it that this turned into a game? It was so gradual that Ciara can't really pinpoint the moment the dynamic between him and his subordinate shifted from purely professional to a strange battle of wills. At first, he was just mildly annoyed by the way Cruz obeyed all his orders without question. While obedience is all well and good, he's never been a big fan of people that can't think for themselves. If nothing else, he expects a subordinate to ask questions for clarity every now and again! But not Cruz.
Perhaps it wouldn't have bothered him so much if not for the way he's been relegated to desk work. He knows it's because his brother pitched a fit. That there are people out there who are perfectly willing to force someone as talented as he is to handle a scribe's work simply because they were told to is absolutely infuriating, and he doesn't want anyone like that anywhere near him. So he's been taking it out on the boy somewhat, ordering him to do a myriad of useless tasks that should be assigned to a maid just to see if he'll crack. He almost felt bad for it initially.
Not anymore. Being the fiercely competitive man he is, Ciara can sense the undercurrent of stubbornness in the way Cruz does anything he asks of him. He's a clever child, and not only has he figured out that he's being toyed with, he's rising to the occasion and refusing to back down. That much, at least, he can respect. Unfortunately, knowing that Cruz knows means that Ciara can't back down either, and he's taken to demanding increasingly ridiculous things.
Like now, when he's summoned Cruz to wash his hair and back for him. He twists slightly in the tub to glance at the door when it opens, sighing to himself when he sees the boy with towels in hand, ready to serve as always.]
I don't suppose you brought me something to drink?
[He didn't ask for it... on purpose, of course.] |
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